


The Return

by HunterPeverell



Series: The Final Winter [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28869594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HunterPeverell/pseuds/HunterPeverell
Summary: Just a little story of the 2012 Avengers landing in their timeline afterThe Center.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers (implied)
Series: The Final Winter [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032501
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	The Return

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how much sense this will make if you haven't read _The Center_ , FYI.

The grating underneath Steve’s feet lit up with green Time energy in response to Dr. Strange and Wong’s magic, and before Steve realized it, he and the other Avengers were swallowed up by the light.

They flew through some sort of tunnel, faster than anything Steve had ever experienced, and he thought he caught glimpses of other times, other spaces, but he wasn’t quite sure.

The green light vanished, and Steve collapsed on the ground. His head hurt, but mildly, and the sun was warm against his exposed neck.

He sat up and looked around. They lay in Central Park, people walking or running in the distance. He could hear children laughing, cars honking, and the familiar stench of New York City wafted on the breeze.

Stark lay not two feet away, and even before he sat up, the billionaire had his phone out and checked it.

“Signal!” Stark shouted, waving his phone wildly. “Back in our timeline, baby!”

“My _head,”_ Clint groaned as he sat up.

“And we are all safe?” Thor asked as he helped Dr. Banner to his feet.

“Okay, wow,” Stark interrupted. “We’ve been gone a week and a half, apparently. Everyone’s freaking out.”

“I bet,” said Natasha dryly.

“So,” said Clint. “What now?”

They all looked at Steve.

He startled. “Who, me?”

“Well, you are the Man with a Plan,” quipped Stark.

Steve didn’t have a plan—not quite yet—but he knew what he needed to do. Bucky was out there somewhere, tortured by HYDRA. He needed to weed out and dismantle HYDRA, and fast. He needed to help Stark track down everyone who’d played a part in his parents’ death. And, somewhere high above, there’s the looming threat of Thanos.

There was so much to do, so much to prepare for.

 _Retire,_ he heard the other Bucky say quietly.

Yes. Maybe at the end of it, he and his Bucky can find a quiet place to start a community for those with nowhere else to go. A place to help people in need, where they can finally rest.

And maybe then Steve will finally work up the courage to ask Bucky if Steve could kiss him.

It’d be nice.

But he’s not there yet.

He looked at the Avengers, each staring back at him, at the ready, and gave them a smile.

“I think I’ve got it,” he said. “Let’s get started.”


End file.
